£21k Estate Car.... Choices? Opinions?

[DDtB]

So....

Girlfriend has an Audi A3 sportback and long story short... looks like it's not an allowed option anymore due to the H&S peeps.

She's now on the hunt for a new estate car (that has metal hoops in the floor or similar so she can tie down the weighbridge she transports about sometimes).

Her spec is...

"Nice car that she feels special in" & "Fast"

Any ideas folks? Budget is £21k.

Other people are apparently looking at Volvos and Avensiseseses...

Cheers!

Dave.

[Jeremy]

Mini Cooper S Clubman

Job done !

Regards,

Jeremy

[BiggestNizzy]

MG Zt-T 4.6 V8

[DDtB]

Mini Cooper S Clubman

Job done !

Regards,

Jeremy

Anything from the Mini range is banned in this house.

I'm starting to think we have very different tastes in cars...

[Jeremy]

Not something I'd buy personally but it seemed to fit your brief perfectly ! Brand new estates that make you feel special and go fast generally cost £50k+ in my book.

Regards,

Jeremy

[renmure]

Just wait a couple of weeks till he gets bored then buy that Mercedes Estate thingy that Gareth bought recently.

[DDtB]

Not my brief.

The girlfriend's. Fast and special are relative terms. She has a 177bhp engine just now and has had a 100bhp in the past. She doesn't want to go back there.

Remember... In the real world most people think £21k and 177bhp is actually a lot of money and quite fast. Clearly that doesn't count for much in Top Trumps / 'My willie is bigger than yours' land though!!

Fact is, she's used to a nice white Audi A3 sportback with leather seats and a decent powered engine. That's actually a car she would have chosen herself. Swapping it for an bland repmobile with 100bhp and no spec isn't really making her happy just now.

I can't understand anyone who would want a Clubman tbh. sh*t car and shouldn't have been allowed to be sold in the UK due to H&S reasons imho. But not really interested in arguing about that right now... just trying to be a helpful boyfriend!

Cheers!

[smee]

Much much less car than you'd ever imagine these days for £21k. Could be predictable and say get a Skoda but no Octavia estate untill June/July, could get a Superb but maybe a bit old manny? VRSs with low milage for about £17k but as for split new cars might be tricky. that's golf money with isn't as big as the Octavia and doesn't have as good spec. If it didn't need to be new surely a 3 series should be considered?

Also clubman boot is smaller than Geisha's shoebox.

[DDtB]

£21k is a bit of an issue... I agree.

Trying for more, but the company seems to have decided on that amount a few years back and are sticking to it despite prices rising a lot in the meantime.

She'd love a 3 series if it was in budget.

Browsing the likes of Seat, Mazda, Ford etc. just now to see what's out there. Anyone have any ideas what level of discount might be achievable on something like a Seat these days?

Cheers!

[BigD]

Audi A4 avant. Same engine job done.

Oh hang on is the £21k the new price, i.e. not second hand?

A year old A4 avant?

Seat should be a good shout for the money too.

[The Hoff]

If you can push to just over 23k... New Focus st estate in st1 trim. My daily driver is an st3 with all bells and whistles at 27k. Getting 33mpg avg.. Worth a test drive if nothing else.

Cowan

[Jeremy]

I'm not a huge fan of the Clubman as I said but I'm sure it ticks boxes for someone and if someone held a gun at my head and said I must buy a £21k estate I'd have one of these in a flash over an astra or whatever other dull rep fodder falls within that new price bracket.

The possible exception could be a Focus ST estate but that's a smidgen over budget and could be hefty on company car tax ? Not something I'm really up on.

Regards,

Jeremy

[H8OAG]

Plenty of choice out there.............

Is Ryaaaaaaannnnn allowed pre reg?
If so you could squeeze a manual poverty spec Merc C Class Estate if you knew where to phone
Staring down the bonnet at the Mercedes badge makes a pleasant start to the dreariest of days
If not , a host of Seat,Skoda,Volvo V60, Subaru,Passat,Kuga.....................and if your braver than Brave McBrave...............Citreon C5 adventures await!!

[The Hoff]

Plenty of choice out there.............

Is Ryaaaaaaannnnn allowed pre reg?
If so you could squeeze a manual poverty spec Merc C Class Estate if you knew where to phone
Staring down the bonnet at the Mercedes badge makes a pleasant start to the dreariest of days
If not , a host of Seat,Skoda,Volvo V60, Subaru,Passat,Kuga.....................and if your braver than Brave McBrave...............Citreon C5 adventures await!!

My wife has a C5.. Well equipped, reliable so far but a bit of a boat in the handling department after 32k miles

[DDtB]

She's going to investigate if pre-reg is allowed. Probably has to be diseasal too. Main deal breaker is not having tie down hoops in the boot though. A3 hasn't got them which is why her 11 plate is getting punted already.

Not going to mention Merc to her yet... she'd love one of them I reckon! Might do a bit of research though and make one of those phonecalls if she can pre-reg and sneak a bit more from the Co.

Bank Holiday Monday is looking like a day we'll spend trawling round the showrooms I normally try to avoid though! happy days

Cheers!

Dave.